The Elephant in the Room
by engineerwenlock
Summary: My take on the 'I ship Reylo if they aren't related." Rey gets a DNA test and avoids the guessing completely. Then, Rey and Kylo Ren jump into a relationship, despite their positions on opposite sides of the war. Begun well before TLJ came out, this is now canon-divergent, but still fun to write. Chapter 11 has been posted.
1. So where are you from?

_Author's Note:_ _I began work on this story after The Force Awakens came out. I wasn't going to finish it, because I knew The Last Jedi would change so much, but it's just kind of fun to write, so here I am. It's canon compliant with Episode VII, but not with the written supplemental material or Episode VIII._

The air sparked with tension as Rey stormed through the doors of the interrogation room. "Where is he?" she demanded, breathing heavily.

Kylo Ren casually responded, "Who?"

"Lives are at stake. I don't have time for your games. Where is he? And what have you done with the weapon?" Her stance was intimidating; the lightsaber in her hand added to the effect, but she couldn't conceal the wide eyes and the note of panic in her voice.

He chuckled and asked, "What, is this your first interrogation?"

She blushed in response.

He continued, "I know exactly how desperate you are. And I hold all the cards."

"No you don't," said Rey, pressing her unlit lightsaber to his chest, her other hand on his shoulder.

"Amateur move. You can't start with a death threat. When you fail to follow through with that, the subject no longer fears you." Rey released her grip on the weapon and it clattered to the floor. He continued, "Next time try threatening the subject's limbs. Take off a pinkie so they know you're serious." He struggled against his bonds in order to lean closer to her. "Honestly," he whispered, " I expected better from you." A wisp of hair lay across her check. He thought it would be interesting to brush the errant hair behind her ear, but his arms were cuffed behind him.

She took a deep breath and said quietly, "Please help us. We'll let you go if you just give us the location. You can trust me." She leaned closer, her lips parted slightly.

He stared into her innocent eyes and knew she was telling the truth, but not being one to make things easy for people, he replied, "Prove it." He was smirking.

Silence pervaded the room and before they realized what was going on, their lips met. Next thing they knew, her fingers were tangled in his hair. He was inwardly cursing the cuffs that prevented him from wrapping his arms around her waist as she opened her mouth and he flicked his tongue inside.

Then he froze. Their lips broke apart and she took a step back. She was gasping for breath and he decided he liked seeing her that way. Pushing that thought aside, he stammered, "I don't - we - um - who are your parents?"

She stared at him, blinked twice and remar ked, "I don't understand," she took a breath and continued, "Of all the things you could say, you-" she took another breath.

He looked into her eyes. "Please just answer the question."

"But I don't know."

He sighed wearily and shook his head.

She gave him a confused look and said, "You're going to have to tell me what you're thinking. I have about twenty-seven objections myself, but this makes absolutely no sense."

"Well I-," he sighed again and started over, "I disagree with my parents on a lot of things, but one lesson I never rejected was this, 'Never get, um, romantically um involved with someone unless you're sure you aren't related.' Not sure why they took it so seriously, but..." He shrugged.

Rey smiled. "I think I know why. Master Skywalker only mentioned it in passing, but he and General Organa didn't know they were related for awhile and one time she kissed him to make Han Solo jealous," she explained. "You look ill. What's the matter?"

"I was just confronted with the mental image of my mother and my uncle -" he shuddered.

"Sorry."

"It's alright." He shot her a crooked smile, "You know, maybe you're not so bad at enhanced interrogations after all. You scarred me for life without any sort of weapon."

His comment snapped her back to reality, "Um, about the interrogation," she began.

He cut her off, "You'll find what you're looking for in the Mazer system, on the only space station in the inner asteroid belt. Just, um, don't mention this to anyone until you're absolutely sure we're not cousins or something."

"Thank you. And I hope we're not- related, that is," she told him as she got up, tossed him a set of keys and walked out the door.

After she was gone, he sighed and said, "Me too."

 _Author's note: I'm a total subscriber of the Rey Kenobi thoery, so I'm not necessarily calling incest, just urging caution._

 _Haha while these two aren't my OTP or anything, they were a ton of fun to write. I may be writing more on them in the future._

 _(2018 update on this note: After a few years of reading, writing and *gasp* watching Reylo, I SHIP IT! Like, a lot.)_


	2. Meet the parents

Rey returned safely to the Resistance base after her latest successful mission. However, she was acting a bit... odd. After four consecutive nights spent in the archives, she started to wander around glassy-eyed and almost ran into a few walls. General Organa took it upon herself to figure out what had reduced her brother's apprentice to the physical coordination of a drunken Ewok.

She spotted Rey sitting alone in the officer's mess, poring over a datapad, occasionally taking bites of her noon meal. The General got her own meal and sat down across from Rey, who looked up and gave a friendly greeting. They made small talk for a few minutes before the General asked Rey, "What happened to you on that mission?"

The girl replied, "Nothing. I'm fine."

"The archive librarian tells me you've been spending every night there. You came to this morning's briefing with keypad marks on your forehead. My brother mentioned you've been falling asleep during meditation."

"It's a personal matter. I'll make certain it doesn't interfere with my work in the future." Rey stirred her soup intently staring at the swirling vegetables, rather than meeting Leia's eyes.

"Nevermind that. If something is troubling you, we'd like to help."

Rey looked up, "But I-"

"In your hours of searching our archives, have you had any success?"

"No but -"

"They're not complete. We have the basics, but the Empire destroyed many of their records, rather than let them fall into the hands of the New Republic. Our best resources these days are often people or private archives. And I can't point you in the right direction unless I know what you want to know."

Rey replied, "It's my family. I still have no idea who they are. When I left Jakku - well, I thought I'd find some answers. I still don't even know why they left me there."

"I can relate. I grew up knowing nothing about my birth parents. I, at least, had a loving adoptive family, but there was always a part of me that wondered."

"At this point, I'm just frustrated. I spent years waiting for the people who abandoned me and then never came back -"

"So why the sudden urgency to find them now?"

Rey sighed, "I just want closure."

General Organa raised an eyebrow. "Sweetie, I was raised by politicians. I know when someone isn't telling the whole truth. Why the sudden interest?"

"I realized something on this trip. Say I were to meet someone - anyone. They could be my family and I wouldn't even know it. I hate being at a disadvantage."

The way Rey said it, and the blush creeping into her cheeks made the situation fairly obvious to Leia. She asked, "You met someone, a young man, perhaps?"

Rey's gaze returned to her food as she mumbled, "Yes."

"And?"

"I don't - It's a bit - complicated. But I was reminded of all the years you and Master Skywalker spent as friends, not knowing you were twins, of all things."

"Does he know who his parents are?"

"Y-yes, they're, er, well, yes, he does."

"Well that simplifies it a bit."

"Unfortunately, I doubt there are electronic records that could point us to the identity of your parents. A place like Jakku, well, it's exactly the sort of backwater whose only appeal is the lack of official presence." Leia said, gently.

"I know I just -" Rey shrugged and sighed.

Leia patted the girl's hand, "I know. I'm sorry there's not more I can do." She thought for a moment, then it dawned on her, "Well, actually, this won't be a perfect solution, but you could get a DNA test."

"A DNA test? What is that?" The poor girl asked hesitantly. Leia was reminded that Rey had undergone no formal schooling, and though she was an incredible asset to the Resistance, there were large gaps in her education.

"A DNA test is a simple laboratory procedure. You would provide a small tissue sample - they can do it from a strand of hair - and they'll be able to tell you if you're related to another person. We have the technology to do it here on base, actually."

"Oh. That seems simple enough."

Leia, now finished with her meal, decided to give the girl some time to think. She stood up and was about to pick up her lunch tray when the girl said, "Wait, there's one more thing."

"Yes?"

"I've er recently I've been thinking, well Force sensitivity tends to run in families, and um, not many Jedi survived the purges. Is it possible that - er - well, that I'm well - er - "

"I know for a fact you're not my daughter. Luke on the other hand - well, there wasn't anyone I know of, not after Mara disappeared. But he has been gone a long time... And he's so guarded now, not to mention his own poor role models when it comes to family secrets. You know what, now you've got me curious. I'll set up an appointment for the both of us in the medical wing. If you're my niece, I want to know."


	3. Exchanging information

Rey easily deflected the searing red blade. Using the Force, she sent a chair flying at her opponent's head, which kept him occupied while she dealt with the pair of Stormtroopers approaching her from behind. This particular skirmish was in the long hallway of a research facility on the largest continent of Ithor.

It was obvious Kylo Ren had received additional training as well, and Rey barely dodged a nasty slice aimed at her arm. Or perhaps he missed on purpose. This was their first meeting since the... unorthodox interrogation. He was still attacking fiercely, but she couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn't trying to kill her this time.

They settled easily into the complicated rhythm of the fight. He lunged, she parried and made a strike of her own. And so the dance went on. Once, she had him backed up against a door, but he pushed it open and they continued their duel inside a laboratory. Rey mentally cringed as they inadvertently destroyed equipment that was likely worth more than all the parts she found in her years of scavenging. The room was humid; transperisteel tanks lined the walls, full of some sort of aquatic life.

As the fight continued, Kylo Ren's helmet became coated in condensation. It must have decreased his visibility. He used the Force to overturn a lab bench, briefly pinning Rey while he removed the helmet. She quickly freed herself and hurdled over a row of tables to rejoin the fight.

"You know," she remarked a few moments later, "You fight better without the mask on."

"Or maybe -" he sent something flying at her back - "You're just getting tired."

She gracefully dodged. Now the thing - a centrifuge, she thought - was headed straight for him. Not expecting that, he was nearly knocked off balance. "Not likely," said Rey, retaliating by Force-pushing another heavy piece of equipment toward her opponent.

He sliced it neatly in half with his saber and sent the pieces flying. Then he inquired, "If you don't mind my asking, how is your - research project coming along?"

"Nothing conclusive yet, but that reminds me..." She jumped on a lab table and leaped over his head, landing behind him. She grabbed a couple strands of hair and pulled."

He whirled around to face her and asked, "What was that for?"

"DNA test," she replied, swinging her lightsaber at his head with one hand, while putting the hairs in her pocket with the other.

"Oh. That's smart." He easily blocked her attack.

Rey felt it best not to mention the person who gave her the idea.

"Wait just a second, you contaminated your sample, " he cautioned.

"What?"

"By touching it, you could have contaminated it with your own DNA." Kylo Ren deactivated his lightsaber, grabbed an empty cast-plast vial from a nearby table and pulled out a strand of his own hair. He placed it in the vial and handed it to Rey.

She took it, and said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

They stood there awkwardly for a moment. Then an massive explosion sent them both flying.

Rey's com-link buzzed on her belt. She deactivated her own lightsaber and ran to the door. She stopped just before leaving and cheekily called, "I'd love to stay and chat, but my ride's here. Mission accomplished."

"Huh?"

"This attack was a diversion. Our real target was in the south wing."

As she ran down the hallway, Rey could hear the crash of equipment being knocked over and what sounded an awful lot like, "Kriffing Resistance!"

/\/\/\/\/\/\

The next day, Rey joined Finn and Poe in the rec room. They lounged on a sofa, Finn in the middle, Rey and Poe on either side, casually watching a nearby game of Dejarik. Poe turned his attention towards at a flight simulator, where a buddy of his was trying to beat the record. Meanwhile one of the Dejarik players winked in their direction. Finn nudged Poe and whispered, "She just winked at you, and you missed it."

"Who?" he whispered back.

"The brunette over there."

"Corporal Spare? Nah, she knows I have a girlfriend."

"You have a girlfriend?" Finn asked.

"Yeah, buddy. Going on two years."

"How did I not know about that?"

"Good question," Rey cut in, "She had lunch with us last week."

"Oh," said Finn, "Lieutenant Aloya from Intelligence? Nice!"

"Honestly," Rey asked, "How did you miss that?"

Finn sputtered, "W-well, that sort of thing isn't allowed in the Firs- where I came from. They were all, 'Stormtroopers and other enlisted personnel are forbidden from romantic fraternization of any kind.'"

"Wow. That's rough," Poe remarked, "But back to the situation at hand." He nudged his friend, "Finn, go get her comlink frequency."

"Uh, I don't think she's my type."

"Man, you were raised by brainwashing psychopaths who would have gladly castrated themselves if they thought it would help them get a promotion. I doubt you have any idea what your type is. Just go to talk to her."

"Nah, I missed my window."

"Fair enough."

They lapsed into companionable silence for awhile, watching Corporal Spare annihilate her opponent.

Then Poe spoke, "What about you, Rey? There are a couple guys from my squadron who have been asking about you. Just say the world and I'll set you up."

"No thanks. I'm -" she smiled "-busy."

"Rey," Poe pried, "Is there something you're not telling us about? Or, someone?"

"No." She was visibly flustered.

Finn mused, "That would explain why you wore makeup on the Ithor mission. You've never done that before."

"And what's wrong with makeup?"

"Nothing. Just next thing we know, you'll be turning up to a battle in a dress. Pretty hard to fight in a dress," Finn responded.

"How would you know what it's like to fight in a dress? Is there something _you_ aren't telling us?" Rey quipped. That shut him up

/\/\/\/\/\/\

Author's note: As a former laboratory technician, I cried a bit inside at someone's scientific research being destroyed. I'm not sure that's what 'kill your darlings' means, but the beginning of this chapter was hard for me, okay. *exaggerated sniffling*


	4. Long walks in the sand

Rey and Chewbacca piloted the Millennium Falcon to Mos Eisley Spaceport on Tatooine. Chewie, still grieving Han's death, was there to catch up with old friends. Rey, meanwhile, rented a speeder. Equipped with a map drawn by Luke Skywalker, she was headed to pick up some Jedi training materials from an old hermit hut, owned by the late Obi Wan Kenobi. Most notably, she was to collect the tools she would use to craft her own light saber.

About ten kilometers from her destination, the terrain grew rougher than her speeder could handle. Cursing the small cloaked creatures she had rented it from, she got out and continued on foot. The red sandstone of the Jundland Wastes appeared deserted, but she had been warned about the strange creatures and sand people that made their home there.

After she had hiked about seven kilometers, she heard rocks tumbling down the hill in the distance. A few minutes later she heard it a second time. In barren, sandy terrain such as this, she knew she was easy to track. The only thing she could do was choose the location of the inevitable encounter. She continued walking until she found a suitable location to be ambushed - a winding slot canyon. A few hundred meters into the canyon, it was so narrow that she was able to clamber up the cliff walls, ready to drop on her pursuer from above. Not to mention, if there were multiple attackers, they'd be forced to face her one-on-one.

After about a ten minute wait, Rey heard footsteps echoing through the canyon. She readied her light saber. The struggle was over practically before it began. The figure in black was staring at the footprints on the ground, trying to find the next set, so he didn't notice Rey above him and was subdued before he could pull out his weapon. Rey was not surprised to see that her new prisoner was Kylo Ren.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Well I um -" he began to reply.

"You followed me?" Rey interrupted.

"Officially, its reconnaissance." It was hard to tell with the mask, but he sounded flustered.

"Well its personal. Just go away." She gestured for him to walk in front of her and they started back out of the canyon.

"No."

"I'll find some way to return your light saber. I could -"

"No. I'm here for reconnaissan-"

"Would you prefer I left you unconscious in the desert?"

They reached the mouth of the canyon, and were were hit with a gust of sandy wind. Kylo Ren, protected by his mask, was unfazed. Rey, coughing and blinking, quickly put on her goggles and covered her face with a cloth, grateful she had worn her old desert scavenger gear on this trip.

Unfortunately, Kylo Ren used this as an opportunity to take back his light saber. He raised it, preparing to attack-

"Quiet!" ordered Rey.

"What?"

She held up her hand. "Just a minute." After listening to the wind, she remarked, "A sandstorm is coming."

"How can you tell?"

"Can't you feel it?" she asked urgently. "We need to find shelter."

"Why is it 'we' all of a sudden?"

"The desert is more dangerous a foe than you or I could ever hope to be. We can go back to fighting after the storm is over."

He nodded. "My ship's not far from your speeder, we can wait out the storm there."

Rey looked at her wrist chrono, "No, I left my speeder over ninety minutes ago. We won't make it back."

"It's just a bit of sand, how bad can it be?"

"We have twenty, maybe thirty minutes until visibility is effectively zero. When the winds pick up, it is possible to suffocate with all the sand that gets in your lungs." She gestured to her map, "There is an old moisture prospector claim not far from here, but we need to hurry."

Rey led the way, setting the pace. After just a few minutes, she noticed Kylo Ren lagging behind. She stopped, handed him her water skin and remarked, "Wearing all black in the desert! Honestly..." While he removed his mask and gratefully drank some water, she pulled out her map.

After staring at it for a moment, then looking up at the landscape and glancing back at the map, she sighed.

"What?" asked Kylo Ren, readjusting his mask.

"There's supposed to be a landmark here, a tall rock pillar. It must have collapsed."

"May I see the map?" Not waiting for a reply, he grabbed it and took a look. He gestured at the destination, marked 'Master Kenobi's house.' "It's not, by chance referring to Obi Wan Kenobi, is it?"

"Yes."

He closed his eyes and sat cross-legged on the ground.

Rey exclaimed, "What are you doing? We don't have time-"

Kylo Ren raised his hand, indicating he wanted her to be quiet. He sat there briefly, then stood up. "Follow me," he said, "It's that way."

"Sorry, but you were louder than the womp rats Master Skywalker warned me about. Why should I trust your navigation skills?"

"I met him - Kenobi - A long time ago. Well, he was a ghost, but I recognize what he feels like in the Force. He came this way, often, a long time ago. Not many people have been through since, although I also feel my un- I mean Luke Skywalker."

Rey silently followed him, didn't relax until she saw the next landmark from the map. By then, the storm was starting to pick up. Soon, just as Rey predicted, they could barely see their hands in front of their faces.

Kylo Ren shouted to Rey, "Take my hand." And so, following the Force signature of the Jedi he had once been named for, the leader of the Knights of Ren immersed himself in the light side of the Force, and led the last Jedi padawan in the galaxy to safety.

 **Author's note:** When Rey referred to Kenobi's hermit hut as an old moisture prospector claim, she was telling the truth. Obi Wan found it abandoned and then fixed it up and lived there.


	5. Seven minutes in heaven

Leia Organa had considered changing her last name to Skywalker when she found out the truth about her heritage. This idea came out of a desire for closeness with her only remaining family - her brother. Given the political ramifications of drawing attention to her status as the biological daughter of Darth Vader, she ultimately decided to keep the name of her adoptive family.

When Luke offered to train her as a Jedi, she declined. Her place was in politics, reorganizing the Republic in the wake of the Empire's destruction. That was the reason she told him. It was true. The bigger truth, the reason she barely admitted to herself, was that she was afraid of what it meant to be the Vader's heir, if only in learning to use the Force. Of course, if what she told herself was a natural talent for reading people was markedly similar to what Luke learned to do in his Jedi training, she tried not to dwell on it. After all, she'd used the ability practically since she was born and she wasn't about to stop now. Even though she never admitted it, her success as a politician was, at least in part, a heritage from her father.

This talent was useful for more than just politics. In her interactions with Rey, Leia had sensed the girl's intense longing for a family. So when the DNA test came back negative - Rey was not Luke's daughter - Leia was not surprised at the girl's disappointment. The flash of relief, mixed with uncertainty and a bit of giddy excitement that followed was unexpected. So later that day, Leia found herself asking Dr. Bkar'bre, the Twi'lek who was head of the med wing, to keep her posted on Rey's future DNA tests.

Thus, she was unsurprised to receive a note asking her to stop by the medical wing two weeks after the operation on Ithor. However, she didn't want Rey to suspect anything, so it wasn't until after the girl had left for Tattoine that Leia stopped by Dr. Bkar'bre's office.

"Rey ran another DNA sample," the doctor told the general without preamble.

"And?"

"This one was also negative."

"Dr. Bkar'bre, you are a busy woman. You don't have to personally tell me the results of every test."

"I understand, but we did find something interesting. As you know, we were rather busy with the materials picked up from Ithor. Due to their time-sensitive nature, our technicians did double shifts until that project was complete. When they got back to regular work, I hate to say it, but they were exhausted. As a result, when they got to Rey's latest DNA test, they made the mistake of running it against the sample you provided when you were here with her last month, instead of the girl's."

"That's an honest mistake. I'm not angry."

"That's also not why I called you in, ma'am. The latest sample is not a match for her, but it is a 50% match to you."

"Meaning?"

"The sample came from someone in your immediate family. One of your parents, your brother, or your child. Since the sample is male, that narrows it down to your father, your brother or your son."

"My father is long dead, and she knows she's not related to my brother. But why would she - oh. Thank you for keeping me informed. And I would appreciate your continued discretion in this matter."

/\/\/\/\/\/\

Just as Rey was beginning to worry they'd be caught in the sandstorm forever, Kylo Ren ran into something solid. He pulled Rey toward the structure and shouted over the wind, "Feel around for a door." After a few moments of groping around blindly, he felt a latch. He opened it and pulled Rey inside. She quickly shut the door behind them.

They each took a few moments to brush the sand off. Then they removed their respective masks. Rey took a drink of water from the water skin she carried on her belt, then offered it to Kylo Ren. He accepted it gratefully, as he had before.

"Now what?" he asked.

"There is nothing we can do but wait out the storm."

"And how long will that be?"

"Hard to tell."

They fell silent.

They went their separate ways to explore the dwelling. Everything was covered in dust. It had clearly been deserted for years. Rey was excited to find a few jugs of water stashed in a closet. She ran the water from one of the jugs through a small filter she had brought along. Now they would have plenty to drink. Just then, she heard a loud gurgling noise from the other end of the house. Following the sound, she ended up in the 'fresher. Kylo Ren was standing outside the shower stall, fiddling with the faucet.

"Too bad the shower doesn't work," he said, "I've got sand everywhere."

Rey pointed to a cabinet near the ceiling at the back of the shower. "Would you please open that up? I don't think I can reach." Kylo Ren obliged. Rey explained, "We need to put water up there, then it should work just fine. I'll be right back." She went out to the closet and came back lugging a jug of water. "Would you mind? Oh, but remove the old jug first."

"Sure." He did as instructed. After a few minutes of fumbling with the connection, he said, "It's pretty rusty."

"Here, er, I'll go get a ladder.," Rey replied.

"Don't bother." He placed his hands gently on her waist and lifted her up. There was a shelf that served as a foothold, and he kept her steady with his firm grip around her waist. While this allowed her to use both hands on her work, it also made it more difficult to concentrate.

She fiddled with the connector for a second. "Alright, it fits, but I need some adhesive. I have some on my belt, but your -er- hand is in the way."

"Oh, sorry."

They eventually got the connection fixed. Rey got down and turned the faucet. Water came out, though it was little more than a trickle.

Rey explained, "See how the shower floor is elevated? The water from your shower is filtered and collects here - " she pointed to yet another jug, this one under the shower platform - "so it can be reused."

"I never realized a shower could be so complicated."

"Well," Rey said, "It's better than what I had on Jakku."

"Oh. What did you do then?" he asked.

"Sponge baths, mainly."

This made him blush. Rey looked away, embarrassed as well. She awkwardly changed the subject, prattling on about her food rations and living in the belly of an old atat. "On Jakku I learned to take it one day at a time, and to be grateful for what I had," she concluded.

He nodded.

"Anyway, er, you go ahead," she said, gesturing toward the shower.

"No, no, ladies first."

"Thanks."

With lots of experience cleaning up after a sandstorm, she was in and out in under ten minutes. Kylo Ren took longer. While he was thus occupied, she busied herself with searching the hut more thoroughly. Rey found the tools she had come for and placed them in her satchel. Then she pulled out a brush and sat on the sofa to work the knots out of her hair.

Kylo Ren came out of the 'fresher dressed an a simple tunic and pants that reminded her of the clothes Master Skywalker had her wear for lightsaber training. She smiled.

"What?" he asked, sitting down beside her.

"I've only ever seen you wear black."

"I found this in the closet while you were taking a sh- while you were in the 'fresher. My clothes don't keep the sand out well at all. I'm hoping these will work better for the trip back."

"Oh," said Rey, "w-well you look nice."

He smile, looking into her eyes. "You too."

"Thanks," she replied. She looked down at her hands and started fiddling with her hairbrush.

"Rey," he asked, softly, "did you get a chance to run the DNA test?"

"Yes," she replied, glancing back at his face.

"And?"

"We're not related."

"Good."

They lapsed into silence. Kylo Ren pulled at a loose fiber on the cushion. "You know," he observed, "I bet this sofa is older than both of us combined."

"Probably. It's held up rather well, considering."

"Yeah."

He was staring at her in a manner entirely incongruous with thier casual conversation.

She scooted closer. Even sitting down he was at least ten centimeters taller than her.

He brought his hand up and lightly caressed her cheek with his thumb.

She glanced down at her own hands, still holding her hairbrush, then back up at his face. She smiled nervously. He smiled back.

He leaned down, she tilted her face up.

Their second kiss was slow, hesitant. They were simultaneously more and less prepared for it than they had been for the first. She dropped her hairbrush and wrapped her arms around his waist. He ran his hands through her hair.

A long while later, when they could no longer hear the wind whistling outside, she remarked, "This was a great way to wait out a storm."

He nodded in agreement. "But we should be getting back. Wouldn't want to worry Ch- your co-pilot."

"Wait, shouldn't we talk about this?"

"What us there to talk about?"

"Well we're on opposite sides of the war, and given the -" She stopped when she noticed his smirk. She grinned and shook her head.

Soberly, he said, "We both know how fragile this is. We try to talk about it, and it doesn't stand a chance."

She nodded.

He continued, "You said that on Jakku, you took things a day at a time. Let's do that."

"But that won't work in the long run. It's -"

He silenced her with a kiss. "Let's worry about the future later."

 **Author's notes:** One of my goals with writing this fic was to improve my skills at writing romancy/shipping stuff. I would love some feedback on what you liked, but also what you didn't like, so I can become a better writer. I really appreciate reviews and I try to reply to every review I get.

Concerning the DNA test. While Rey knew she wasn't related to Kylo Ren through his mother, she wanted to double check that she wasn't related to him through Han Solo. That's why she got a sample from him after the test with Leia was negative.

A bit of biology nerdiness for you if you're interested. I decided not to put it in the actual story. (I have a track record for going really sciency in my fics.) Anyways, if they wanted to figure out exactly whose DNA sample Rey brought in, they could have first matched just mitochondrial DNA. mDNA is passed from the mother on to her children, so an mDNA match with Leia would rule out Leia's father. Now it's down to her son or her brother. I figure the DNA of people from different planets is different enough that they could have found a marker that is specific to Corellia, and knowing that Leia has no Corellian ancestry, they could assume that it came from her son, whose father is Corellian. Yay science! If you're sad not to see this in the story, never fear, I may discuss some epigenetics in a future chapter.


	6. Ask her out already

As he returned to his ship (after taking a rather long time to bid Rey farewell), Kylo Ren was struck by the desire to turn around and ask Rey on a date. It was like he heard someone whispering, "Ask her out, you Bantha-brain."

He entered his ship and was confronted with a semi-transparent blue figure. He quickly realized the whisper wasn't his imagination. The apparition was tall - about as tall as Kylo himself - and dressed as a Jedi Knight from the Old Republic.

"Who are you?" Ren asked.

"The galaxy's only expert in Jedi dating."

"I'm no Jedi."

"Could've fooled me." The ghost smirked.

Ren looked down at his clothes and rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, your girlfriend's a Jedi."

"She's not -"

"Fine, Padawan."

"No, I mean she's not my girlfriend."

"Yet." The ghost smiled.

"I'm not going to get my hopes up."

"You should ask her on a date. You've already discovered Tattooine is a good neutral planet for the two of you. There's a pod race here in about three weeks. You could -"

"Are all force-ghosts this annoying?"

"You've clearly never met Master Yoda. At least I speak Basic correctly."

Kylo Ren snorted.

The ghost shrugged. "My first language was Huttese. Cut me some slack."

"Get off my ship."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Approximately one and a half weeks later, after another official run-in with Kylo Ren, Rey pulled a slip of flimsi from her pocket. It was a ticket to the Boonta Eve Classic Podrace in Mos Espa on Tattoine. On the back was a handwritten note: " _It's in ten standard days. Meet me there?_ "

She smiled. He must have slipped it in her pocket earlier in the day while they were fighting. " _That explains his change in technique,"_ she thought to herself.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Hey, Rey," Finn asked, "Want to come cliff diving with us?" She was carrying supplies onto the Falcon. Finn and Poe each grabbed a crate and followed her up the ramp. "When you're done with this, of course," Finn added.

"That sounds fun," she replied. Her eyes lit up at the thought. Ever since Poe taught them both to swim, Rey spent nearly all her free time in the water. "But I have to take Chewbacca home."

Poe sighed, "All work and no play... have I taught you nothing?"

Rey smiled, "Actually, I'll be headed to a pod race on the way back."

"Where?"

"Tattoine. The Boonta Eve Classic."

Poe grinned at the thought.

They finished helping Rey load up the Falcon. They said their goodbyes and wished her good luck.

She replied, "May the Force be with you."

Later, Finn asked Poe, "What's a pod race?"

"It's - how about I show you? You have some leave saved up, right?"


	7. Dinner and a podrace

"So how are we going to find Rey in this crowd?" Finn asked, as he and Poe searched for their seats in the stadium in Mos Espa.

Poe replied. "We're not."

"Wha- but-" Finn sputtered.

"She obviously wanted to come without us, or she would've invited us.

"It's not like Rey to keep things like this from us."

"I wouldn't worry too much."

"Do you think she's... seeing someone?"

"Maybe. Maybe she just needed a break. Girl grew up in the desert by herself. Maybe she misses the peace and quiet. Anyway, we didn't come here to follow her. We're here to see a pod race. Now normally I'd go to Malastaire, but the two this weekend were postponed - they've had an explosion a fuel processing plant."

"Oh and it wrecked the course?"

"No, I think it released some toxic refinery gases into the atmosphere. Anyway, We're nowhere near Theron, so that leaves Tattooine if you want to see a good race without waiting six standard months for the tournament season to start."

Later, after they found their seats, Finn was testing out the range of his binoculars.

"I think I see her," he said, "Yep, that's her hair... She's turning around... Nope she's blue... aaaand I think that's a man."

Poe snorted. "Give me those. Now look down there. The racers are lining up and you're going to miss the start."

/\/\/\/\/\/\

"So who do you think will win?" Rey asked her... date. It was still difficult to wrap her head around the fact that the man sitting next to her was the same one who, up until recently, had been trying to kill her for the better part of a year. Deciding it was better not to dwell on that fact, she added, "If I were betting, my money would be on that pod over there."

"Which one?"

"Next to the yellow one. They have a blue flag."

"Oh." He took a minute to look it over. "They know their aerodynamics. That one looks fast. But I think the green one over there has a better shot. This course is all about maneuverability."

"Well, let's make this interesting." She smiled, "Loser pays for dinner, winner chooses the restaurant."

"Excellent. When the green pod wins, I'm taking you off-planet to somewhere decent," Kylo Ren smugly replied.

"Um, I'm not sure that's such a good idea."

"Why not? Is it our clothes? We could go shopping for something more suitable first."

"No. This sector is largely controlled by the First Order."

"Oh. The reward."

"If it wasn't 'dead or alive,' I'd risk it, but..." she trailed off.

"Sorry," he said, awkwardly.

After a long silence, Rey said, "Well it's a moot point anyway. I happen to love a good Bantha steak, so we'll be having dinner on-planet when I win."

He flashed her a grateful smile. He didn't smile often, but when he did, it was - Rey realized he was saying something. "I'm sorry," she said, "I didn't quite catch tha-"

She was cut off by the announcer, "Racers, start your enngiiinesss!"

Rey was glad for the distraction. It would be embarrassing to explain the reason she stopped paying attention.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Why is everyone cheering?" Finn asked Poe, "That racer almost died."

"Finn, buddy, some people just come for the crashes," Poe replied.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"So what were you saying earlier?" Rey asked Kylo Ren.

"When?"

"Just before the start of the race."

"Just wondering why you were so sure the green pod would lose."

"Simple. The pilot's human."

"So?"

"Humans never win."

"Never?"

"Well, a crazy old pilot once told a story of a human slave who won his freedom in a pod race. It was a great story, actually, and it would have been more believable but the hero of the story was twelve. Much too young to race pods."

"That was me," a voice arrogantly told Kylo Ren. "And I was nine at the time."

Kylo Ren glared at the direction the voice was coming from. To Ren's annoyance, the ghost cheekily added, "And good move, holding her hand. Women like that sort of thing."

Though he would never admit it to the ghost, Ren thought to himself, " _It's not a move."_

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Is that legal?" Finn asked. He was referring to a pod ramming another into the side of a cliff.

"Yep."

"This is a violent sport."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Leaving the restaurant, Rey told her date, "Thanks for dinner, that Bantha steak was quite good. Almost as good as Master Skywalker makes."

"Personally, I always thought he overdid the spices."

"Care for a drink?"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Determined to leave nothing out of his friend's first podrace experience, Poe dutifully steered Finn to a local bar after the race. Several hours in, they were a bit worse for wear. The bell on the door jangled merrily as a human couple entered the crowded bar. Poe's eyes followed the noise. " _Hmmm,"_ he thought to himself, " _That looks like Rey. The guy looks familiar too, like - no way, that's too crazy."._ Staring down at his drink, which the barkeep had insisted was Dantooine gin, he wondered, " _What is_ in _this stuff?"_


	8. Sending flowers

Rey and Kylo Ren settled into an awkward equilibrium. They saw each other fairly regularly, but more often than not crossed were lightsabers between them, rather than a dinner table. Kylo Ren didn't mind. In fact he found fighting -sparring really, since they weren't injuring each other anymore - with Rey rather... hot.

The day before had been particularly interesting. The First Order's target was in the bustling city of Coronet. While he didn't enjoy being on Corellia because it brought back memories of his fa- Han Solo, the setting proved ideal when, as he and Rey fought, they accidentally ended up on a heavy-duty garbage collection speeder and were separated from the main fight. They ended up in an industrial district and ducked into deserted a warehouse. After using the Force to verify that they were completely alone, Kylo Ren found another way to follow his mandate to 'keep the Jedi girl occupied.'

Today, Kylo Ren was feeling particularly bold and decided to send Rey flowers. An enterprising shipping company had a contract with the Resistance to send care packages to its members. This kept details like troop deployment or base locations classified and prevented dangerous mail from finding its way to the Resistance.

After a bit of searching, he found their site on the holonet and filled out the delivery form. It didn't accept the fact that Rey only had a first name, so he typed 'Rey' in the last name box as well. He scrolled through the limited flower options and, to his good fortune, found Corellian red gardenias. This particular variety had been genetically engineered centuries ago to smell like a cross between Alderaani lilacs and and something from a tropical planet he couldn't remember. Yesterday, Coronet City had been heavy with the scent as local growers brought their crops to the flower markets and shipping centers.

He completed his order and was checking out when a message popped up, "We are sorry, but due to supply chain disruption, this item is no longer in stock."

After thoroughly venting his frustration on the computer terminal, Kylo Ren found a new terminal and completed his order, selecting Mandalorian fire orchids instead. He had just finished deleting the history on the terminal when he heard the now familiar, but no less obnoxious voice of his personal 'Jedi relationship expert.'

"You know," said the tall apparition, "You could have saved yourself a lot of time if you destroyed the first computer terminal after you completed the order. Have you tried meditation? It works wonders for your anger. Well, it's supposed to. Come to think of it, meditation usually pissed me off. Have you tried fixing things? It's soothing."

"So is hacking things to bits, which is what I would do to you if I could," Kylo Ren replied.

He felt a presence behind him and whirled on his heel to see a storm trooper doing his best attempt at cowering, a rather difficult feat in the stiff armor. Kylo Ren didn't need to Force to tell this soldier was terrified. " _They just keep getting worse,"_ he thought to himself. Out loud he demanded, "What do you want?"

"S-S-Supreme Leader Snoke wants you to report for a briefing, sir."

/\/\/\/\/\/\

Rey was in her quarters on the Resistance base attempting meditation. However, she was having a difficult time focusing, which was unusual for her.

A knock at the door gave her an excuse to call it quits for the day.

It was General Organa.

"Ma'am," Rey said in greeting.

"Hello Rey," replied the older woman, "Is now a good time to talk?"

"Sure. I was trying to meditate, but as long as you don't tell your brother I'm skipping today, I'm fine."

"Deal."

"How is the search for your family coming?"

"So far, the DNA test has actually been my best lead, but even that's a dead end. I've got a grandparent who appears to have originated from Stewjon. The rest, well I've got genetic markers for a couple dozen planets, mostly Outer Rim."

"Have you considered asking Luke? Years ago, when he first tried to rebuild the Jedi academy, he was trying to figure out how to get more students and came across some research that indicated using the Force changed one's genetic makeup. Something about eper- um -epigenetics, I think."

"That's worth looking into."

"And what about the young man?"

"Well, he and I aren't related, but, well - I - er - we - it's complicated."

"Ah." The general pursed her lips. "Have you ever heard the ballad of Ayla and Fahad?"

"No," Rey replied.

"I suppose it is quite obscure. One of my tutors was from Naboo and she used to tell the best stories if I finished my work on time. Anyway, Ayla was eldest daughter of a powerful noblewoman. Fahad came from Ayla's family's biggest rivals. They were untitled but had amassed a large fortune in plasma mining, which was a new industry at the time. One night they met at a festival and fell deeply in love. Fahad recognized Ayla, but she had no idea who he was. He led her to believe he was an architect's apprentice. They met clandestinely for several months until on one such occasion, Ayla was followed by servants of her scheming aunt. I think the aunt's eldest child was next in line to inherit after Ayla. I never did understand the intricacies of Nubian inheritance laws. Anyway, this scheming aunt had Fahad captured. His true identity was revealed and Ayla was forced to choose: give him up or be disinherited."

"So what did she decide?" Rey asked.

Before Leia could answer, she was interrupted by a wailing alarm.

Over the intercom, a voice urged, "High Command to the control center. Repeat, High Command, please report to the control center. All personnel to your stations. Repeat, all personnel to your stations. This is not a drill."

Author's Note: The care package idea was inspired by the Family Communication Hotline used to hilarious effect in "Sibling Revelry" by frodogenic. If you haven't read it, you should. Darth Vader finds out Luke and Leia are twins, which concerns him because he has reason to believe that they're romantically involved. Throw in the Rogue Squadron and a less-than-competant Imperial Spy and it's a beautiful disaster.


	9. Love is like a virus -- Okay not really

The klaxon wailed as Leia strode purposefully toward the base command center. Rey said, "Hey I'm just going to check with Chewbacca about some repairs on the Falcon, to make sure she's able to fly if we need her. I'll meet you there."

When she found Chewie in the hangar, he informed her that the Falcon was functional, but that he kept getting an error message on the air intake for the primary life support system.

"First lets check the air filter; can you show me where it is?" Rey asked.

" _Yes, follow me."_

"Thanks. We'll have to save it for later if it's not the filter, - we have a meeting to get to," said Rey.

" _Meetings are boring."_

Rey replied, "Well this one's an emergency meeting. Let's hope it's boring, because otherwise it means the First Order has done something horrible - eugh! When was the last time you changed this filter?" It was absolutely full of Wookie hair.

 _"Last month."_

"Wow. Okay. Are you shedding or something?"

 _"I don't ask you about your personal grooming habits."  
_

"Sorry. Well at least this is an easy fix."

" _Yeah. I was worried it was the wiring again."_

The briefing was already well under way by the time Rey and Chewie got there. Now, normally it would be impossible walk in late to a meeting without every pair of eyes staring, especially with a 2.3 meter Wookie, but no one paid them any attention as they snuck in the back. Rey tapped Poe on the shoulder and whispered, "What did I miss?"

"Hux is reciting a love poem about his new favorite way to kill people," he whispered, then turned his attention back to the holoprojection.

The transmission from Hux continued, "- virus has had six days to spread throughout the planet and the first patients have likely already begun showing symptoms. In laboratory studies, it kills 10% of victims by the tenth day and 50% by day 13, with a full 90% kill rate by day 15. We intend to distribute the antigen specific antiviral compounds as long as the following demands are met -"

"What planet?" Rey asked Poe.

"Mygeeto. Cold and very heavily populated."

Rey winced.

As the transmission ended, Leia asked, "Commander Osgatai , has our intelligence picked up any indications of where they may be storing this antiviral?"

"Just a moment." After a brief comm conversation, he replied, "We have logged a total of thirty-eight shipments within First Order controlled areas of medical supplies on the scale it would take to treat an entire planet in the past week. It'll take some time to narrow down the list of possible targets, but I reassigned all but three of my people to get you that list as soon as possible."

"Thank you."

Then a Twi'lek stood up. Rey remembered her in the lab the day of her DNA test. She cleared her throat and interjected, "General, if I may."

"Of course."

"There is a chance, if we obtain a sample, we could synthesize our own antivirals.

"Really?" asked Leia.

"Well, we would also need some additional equipment. It's well within the allotted budget, but I'd need a rush order."

"Dr. Bkar'bre, we'll give you anything you need. Let's start with the sample. I'm guessing we'll need to send a team to the planet surface for that."

I'd like to go myself, with a technician to help me gather samples. We'll need bodily fluids from victims, though air and drinking water samples would be helpful as well.

Alright. I'm sure the planetary leaders will be imposing a quarantine, so I'll see what I can do to get around that. I'm assuming you'll have a way to prevent our own people from getting infected?

"Well, not prevent, but minimize risk. I'll write up a protocol before we leave. It will be much easier if we keep our numbers small.

"Is that feasible?" Leia looked to her military commanders.

Admiral Akbar spoke up, "We have sighted several Star Destroyers in a nearby star system, but a small, unmarked craft should be able to avoid detection."

Leia hedged, "Of course, there is always the possibility they'll have troops on the ground."

Dr. Bkar'bre piped up, "They're going to run into the same problem we face - the risk of infection is proportional to the number of personnel on-planet.

Luke, who usually didn't say much in meetings, or in general, for that matter, spoke up, "Well the answer is obvious, then. Rey, would you be willing to go on this mission?" Leia shot her brother an indecipherable look as he said this."

Rey ignored it and said, "Of course. And the Falcon is ready to go."

Dr. Bkar'bre spoke up again at the mention of the Falcon, her lekku twitching in irritation, "With all due respect, that ship would be an absolute nightmare to decontaminate."

Chewie let out a bark of laughter at that comment, and nearly everyone else in the room chuckled good-naturedly. The talk turned to specific mission logistics until finally Leia dismissed everyone, with plans to depart for Mygeeto in four standard hours.

Rey departed to the library, in order to read up on the piloting specifications of the passenger vessel she'd be flying. It was Corellian designed, so it would bear some similarities to the Falcon, but had some new course correction features her old flight simulator hadn't covered. She finished her reading and headed to the supply offices to borrow a parka - the current average surface temperature on Mygeeto was -10 C. As she was about to round the last corner in the hallway, she heard raised voices and stopped, not wanting to walk into the middle of an argument.

" - can't believe you haven't noticed." It was Leia. "The situation is to volatile to risk-"

Luke cut her off. "I sense Rey nearby."

Chagrined, Rey walked around the corner, "Hello Master Luke, Leia."

"Hello Rey. I'm glad you're here. I was just about to comm you. There has been a change of plans. I've asked Luke to take your place on the Mygeeto trip. Instead, we'll be sending you and Chewie for some equipment Dr. Bkar'bre has requested be ready when she gets back."

 _Author's note: After a long hiatus, punctuated by a really difficult time in real life and a lack of confidence in my own writing, I've decided to finish this story. Thanks especially to maripaz6, Hanable-13 and Vicktor2040 who left kind reviews long after I stopped working on this story that made me want to finish it._

 _Just a heads-up, I plan to go through and fix a few minor details I don't like about the chapters I've already written, so be advised that not every update will be a new chapter._

 _PS: this is the second chapter in this story in which I've_ _mentioned filters. This stuff just comes out guys. It's a side effect of my engineering degree. I'm a riot at parties._


	10. Absence makes the heart grow fonder

_Author's Note: No Bothuns were harmed in the making of this chapter._

Rey's supply run was fine. Tedious, even. Obviously, Rey was grateful she and Chewie got the equipment back to base without any trouble, however, she also had a long time alone in her own mind. She kept watch in the cockpit on the way back, keeping an eye on the status of the Falcon, but mostly staring at the now-familiar blue patterns of hyperspace stream past the viewport. In her new life, she noticed some people couldn't stand the quiet. On this trip, Rey was beginning to understand that. She was used to being alone, but she didn't like being alone with the worry. She wondered about Master Luke, and if anyone had found another option to save the residents of Mygeeto. She also wondered what Leia thought was going on in her... personal life. All in all, Rey disliked being full of nervous energy but with nowhere to direct it.

It was a relief when they came out of hyperspace and she had to focus first on landing the Falcon, then on unloading. As Rey was using the Force to help her navigate the largest piece of equipment off the ship without a scratch, Chewie remarked, _"When this is all over, you should consider opening a shipping business - this is a thousand times better than load lifters."_

Rey just laughed in reply.

After they got all of the equipment to the medical wing - which was coming more and more to resemble a proper laboratory - an impressive feat for just a couple of days, the technicians quickly shoed Rey and Chewie out of the room. They turned down Rey's offer of help with set-up and she was left with a few minor non-essential tasks and nothing to ward off the jumpy anticipation she was feeling.

Rey tried to finish her mission report - there was a good chance no one would ever read it - and eventually gave it up as the words on her data console ran together on the screen. Instead she turned to meditation practice, using the Force to observe the others around the base. She found it easier to focus than usual, as the exercise allowed her to see what was going on without pacing and hovering and generally getting in the way of the real work.

Master Luke had said Rey's abilities were improving. She was now to the point where sensing moods was easy and she could occasionally hear snatches of conversation nearby. As she reached out, the first thing she noticed was the sheer number of people who felt like she did. It made sense; everyone on base knew it was only a matter of time before they would be called into action, but for now it was the calm before the storm: no flurry of activity but the air practically crackled with electricity. Rey focused, determined to hear what she could and quickly latched on to a heated argument nearby.

"Your analysis is inconclusive!" said one participant, "We can't send out a team based on conjecture, it's not -"

"Your mother is inconclusive," someone else cut in, "but my analysis is better than the giant heap of nothing your team has turned up!"

"Both of you calm down. Whipple, you're of no use to anyone if you start another fistfight. Can we get some more caf over here?"

This was probably happening in Intelligence. In the two days since the Resistance had heard of the biological attack, Intelligence had been doing their best to locate the antivirals, but to no avail. Rey doubted any of them had been allowed to sleep in that time.

She heard a familiar voice and latched on to that conversation. It was Poe, "Look we all hate waiting, but there is nothing worse than sitting in there all keyed-up until you're exhausted by the time we actually see some action. Nine times out of ten we get ready to go and nothing comes of it, so sit your ass down at that Sabaac table. Just don't sit next to Hirza because she will look over your shoulder."

Meanwhile, Leia commed flight control to ask for an update on Master Luke's whereabouts, and Rey perked up.

Suddenly Rey's consciousness was wrenched in another direction and she saw Kylo Ren on the floor at the feet of a figure she couldn't see clearly. Kylo was writhing in agony and voice boomed, "Have I made myself clear?"

In the background, an alarm wailed and Rey's vision faded to black.

Rey found herself curled in the fetal position on the floor of her quarters, and she could still hear the alarm. slowly she came to realize it was the alarm on the resistance base, and a voice was calling over the intercom, "All personnel to your stations. We have a target. Repeat. We have a target."

 _Author's Note: The equipment Rey picked up on the Falcon is called a technosome (it's an artificial ribosome that allows you to synthesize large quantities of any protein. You have to purchase special add ons if they protein needs any special post production folding or modification ). Fiction is my wish fullfilment, and real machine like that would be so cool!_


	11. Kiss You Senseless

_Author's Note: I think I promised someone Chapter 10 would be exciting, but I ended up splitting it. So this is the exciting chapter I was talking about. I've seen this in my head for a long time, and I'm so happy to finally get it finished and posted._

Rey was antsy. After a briefing, double-time preparations and a long, jittery hyperspace flight (punctuated by the occasional comm with an update on the space battle in the target system) Rey, Finn - now a Lieutenant - and a contingent of Resistance ground troops landed on the largely uninhabited planet that housed an important First Order supply depot. They caught the small garrison off-guard and quickly overran the outpost. Then they were able to land their own transports inside the blast-resistant perimeter fence.

Unfortunately, the supply depot featured several massive warehouses, and it wasn't like there was a giant glowing sign pointing out the antivirals. This is where Finn's experience came in handy; he at least had some knowledge of First Order shipping codes, out-of-date though it was. He scanned the inventory documents while medical technicians and intelligence operatives combed the warehouses.

Meanwhile, Rey paced around the perimeter. She passed several teams assembling blaster canons. She knew there were sniper/spotter pairs setting up in the taller buildings and the guard towers. The goal was to leave before the enemy could mount a counterattack, but at this point, the odds weren't looking good and it was best to be prepared.

As if on cue, her comm crackled and she heard Poe's voice, "This is Black Leader. You have incoming enemy -" the comm crackled with static, "AALs - made it past - command shuttle," Rey heard through the white noise.

Rey commed Major Aldharr, the Samuac male who was assigned command the operation on the ground. "Did you hear that?"

"Yes. Did you manage to make out how many AALs incoming?"

"No. That much static, someone must be jamming his comm."

"Agreed. Well we know they're landing troops soon," he observed, "I'll have my communications officer keep trying Commander Dameron - we'll see if we can get an estimate on numbers. In the mean time, stay out of sight until we know what we're up against. You're our Ace of Sabers."

Rey smiled at the Sabacc reference and then followed orders; seeking out a viewscreen on the perimeter fence near the front gate.

A few minutes later, she could feel numerous presences approaching. "I think they're coming," she said on her comm-link, on the channel that broadcast to all Resistance personnel on the ground, "approaching the front entrance."

"I don't see a thing," remarked a spotter in the highest building.

With the rough, rocky terrain in the area it took the enemy awhile to arrive, but a few minutes later, Rey's feeling was confirmed by the spotter, who chuckled into the comm, "Guess the Jedi's not so crazy. Incoming Stormtroopers, headed for the front gate."

"All gunners, as soon as you've got a clear visual, open fire," Major Aldharr ordered.

Then Finn exclaimed over the comm, "We found it!"

"Excellent," declared Major Aldharr. "Get it loaded as fast as you can. We should be able to hold them off until then."

As the enemy troops came over the ridge, the blaster cannon teams opened fire, but the red beams halted in mid-air. A figure in black crested the ridge.

"Rey, this is why we brought you along." Major Aldharr remarked.

"Understood. I'm headed out to meet them."

The major ordered, "All teams hold your fire."

Rey took a running leap and flipped over the four-meter-high perimeter fence. She immediately had to deflect blaster fire from the approaching Stormtroopers. Kylo Ren held up a fist in a ceasefire gesture and stepped forward to meet Rey halfway between his troops and the fence.

"Rey," he said in a tone that could have been gentle without the mask, "I had hoped you wouldn't be here." Then he raised his lightsaber and attacked. Rey parried the blow and countered with one of her own. Something felt... off about him today. He was more aggressive than he had been last time. Pain flashed in her right arm. He'd grazed it with his saber.

He stepped back, startled and Rey realized she had screamed when he hurt her arm. "I'm sorry," Kylo Ren said, "But I'm not- I can't fail today."

"Neither can I." Rey snarled. She shifted her saber to her left hand and attacked again. With Rey's injury, Kylo Ren quickly gained the advantage.

"Please, Kylo," Rey pleaded, "You don't have to stand for this. The people of Mygeeto -"

"I know. But I have no choice," he said bleakly.

"There is always a choice." Rey tried a disarming move she'd been practicing with Master Luke, but he easily blocked her. Still, his aggression had gone down a notch. If anything, now he seemed pensive - as pensive as one can be while trading blows with a skilled opponent wielding a laser sword.

The fight continued until Kylo Ren broke the silence. "You should kill me," he remarked, calmly.

"What!?" Rey all but screamed.

Kylo Ren deactivated his saber, "Like you said, there is always a choice." He clipped the weapon to his belt. "I can't let you win and I can't bring myse- just kill me. I can't go through with this."

Rey raised her lightsaber, but then she deactivated it and said gently, "Take- please take off your mask first. I want to say goodbye."

He obliged, hands shaking. Rey kissed him, standing on her toes to reach his lips. He closed his eyes, but she kept hers open. As he gently caressed her face, she let her lightsaber slip from her fingers. She grabbed her blaster - Han's old blaster - from her belt. Then she broke the kiss and took a step back.

Taking a deep breath to steel herself, she asked, "Are you sure?"

He nodded. The look in his eyes was so haunting she had to look away. As she pulled the trigger, she focused on the blue dot on the back of the blaster that indicated she had set it for stun. His eyes went wide then he crumpled into a heap. She bent to check his pulse - still alive.

The Stormtroopers opened fire on her. Here, the reflexes built through hours of training kicked in as she summoned her lightsaber without really thinking and blocked the shots.

A voice came over her comm, "Rey, it's time to retreat. We've got what we came for. All teams, give her some cover fire!"

"Copy," she replied automatically, but didn't have a free hand press the talk button on her comm. She had shifted the lightsaber back to her right hand - doing the best she could to ignore the pain and deflect the blasts. Meanwhile, she used her left hand to drag Kylo Ren's unconscious body toward the gate. She cried out as a shot grazed her leg, but she limped onward, clearly focused on that gate. It didn't seem like the enemy was following her, so at least the cover fire was doing its job.

"Rey!" someone shouted - Rey wondered why the voice sounded so close - it was Finn and he was right next to her.

"We got what we came for," Finn was saying, "Now come on."

"I can't leave him," Rey insisted.

"O-kay. Let go of him."

"I'm not going without - "

"I know - I'll carry him. Just go behind us and keep blocking the blaster fire. Can you do that?"

"Yes."

Finn hefted the dead weight of the unconscious Kylo Ren over his shoulder in a fireman carry and started for the compound. Once they passed through the gate the blaster fire was gone. Rey kept her lightsaber at the ready, walking in a defensive position until Finn looked back and said, "Rey, we're inside now. Turn off your lightsaber." Then, to a nearby soldier, "Daisho, I think she's in shock. Could you carry her to the ship?"

"Yes, sir," came the reply, and Rey felt strong arms lift her up. The next thing she knew, she was back in the Resistance personnel transport, which jerked abruptly from the jump into hyperspace.

 _Author's Note: Leave it to Kylo Ren to think of the most dramatic solution possible and Rey to find a way around it._

 _Thank you all so much for the reviews. I apologize if I haven't replied to you. Believe me, I am incredibly grateful for the feedback. I'm having a lot of fun writing this story and it's lovely to know there are people who enjoy reading it too._

 _PS I would love some advice on what works and what doesn't with my writing style._ _I think I err on the side of not telling enough detail because I personally don't like reading long descriptions. So what do you think? Are you getting a clear picture of what's going on in the scene or do I need to be more descriptive? Or something else entirely to improve clarity? Thanks again, you guys are the best!_


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